Christine Collins, National President of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE), recently wrote a letter to John Duncan, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Island North, acknowledging his efforts on behalf of BC Lightkeepers.
Duncan appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on June 8, 2010 to speak out against lightstation de-staffing. The Committee is doing an independent study on lightstations and will make recommendations to the Government regarding whether the de-staffing of lightstations in BC and Newfoundland should proceed.
"On behalf of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, I would like to thank you for taking the time to appear before the committee and so eloquently arguing this case," said Collins in her letter. "You brought forth sound arguments that resonated within our membership."
"As someone who has lived and worked on the BC coast for many years, I know the value of lightkeepers," said Duncan. "I have fought to keep BC lightstations staffed since 1994, and UCTE has been an invaluable ally. I greatly appreciate their words of encouragement."
Transcripts of John Duncan's presentation to the Committee can be found here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/3/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/fish-e/48234-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=3&comm_id=7
Video of the proceedings can be viewed here: http://sen-parlvu.sen.ca/guide.asp?view=6&event=7050
The full wording of Ms Collins' letter of June 16th is as follows:
Mr. Duncan,
I have read with a great deal of interest your presentation to the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on June 8, 2010, emphasizing the importance of staffed lighthouses on the BC Coast.
On behalf of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, I would like to thank you for taking the time to appear before the committee and so eloquently arguing this case.
You brought forth sound arguments that resonated within our membership. I particularly liked your message that instead of arguing about "whose mandate lighthouses fall under, we should be focusing on the value that they provide to our government as a whole and then finding a way to make it work."
UCTE has long argued, as you have, that as long as lighthouses continue to be eyed as targets for de-staffing, there will be pressure to narrow their mandate to justify this goal.
Similarly, when talking about the financial impact of staffed lighthouses, I especially appreciated your statement that "Here the costs of safety are measured in lives, not dollars... When you do not spend the money because you did not have to, how do you know how to account for that?"
Should you require any additional information on UCTE's position on maintaining staffed lighthouses, or if we can provide assistance to you as per the Senate Standing Committee's request that you act as resource person when they visit B.C. this fall, please feel free to contact me.
Again, on behalf of our membership, thank you for your efforts to keep the lighthouses staffed.
Yours truly,
Christine Collins
National President